Enjoy the View Like Tyler Walsh

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How do you enjoy the view?

The Enjoy the View Like Us series invites National Park Service employees to share their stories about their favorite park views. The ways to enjoy the view are as unique as parks and their visitors. We hope these stories inspire you to enjoy the view! Learn more about scenic views in national parks.

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The panorama view of rugged North Cascades peaks from the top of Trappers Peak.

NPS / Chisholm

Tyler Walsh is all smiles at the top of Trappers Peak.

NPS / Chisholm

“Like many of the hikes in the North Cascades, the hike up to Trappers Peak is a beast of a hike. Gaining almost 4000 feet in a little over 4 miles leaves you a bit breathless, to say the least. But when you get to the top of Trappers Peak, you realize that it was worth all the huffing, puffing, and burning muscles.”

This is how Tyler Walsh describes the journey to her favorite view on the top of Trappers Peak in North Cascades National Park.

Tyler is a Visual Information Specialist in the Natural Resource Office of Communication, but she started her National Park Service career off as a seasonal ranger in North Cascades National Park. That’s where she fell in love with the Pacific Northwest landscape – the vast mountain views, extensive mossy forests, and glacier clad peaks.

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Transcript

[natural sounds]

Duration:

24.033 seconds

A 360-degree view from the top of Trappers Peak in North Cascades National Park.

The view of mostly snow-covered Thornton Lakes in the valley below.

NPS / Chisholm

What makes this view so special?

Tyler says, “In the four seasons that I was at North Cascades National Park, the Thornton Lake/Trappers Peak hike was always on my list of essential summer hikes. For me, the view epitomizes the wilderness of the North Cascades.”

From the top of Trappers Peak, the snow and glacier capped mountains extend in all directions as far as the eye can see. The iconic Picket Mountain range with their sharp, pointy peaks encapsulate the ruggedness of the area. Below you can look down and see the three basins that form Thornton Lakes – a small one near the top, a medium sized one in the middle, and the clear blue waters of the larger lake at the bottom. Wildflowers poke out between patches of lingering snow and rocky rubble.

“In our modern, developed world,” Tyler says, “being able to visit a place like this that makes you feel so small and isolated, yet part of this vast wilderness an amazing opportunity.” Like the Edward Abbey quote...

“We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it. We need a refuge even though we may never need to go there. We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope."
- Edward Abbey

...Tyler believes that protecting wilderness areas like the Stephen Mather Wilderness Area in North Cascades National Park is essential to our shared heritage. And – if you get the chance to see the view from the top of Trappers Peak, you may begin to understand why.

The view from the Sterling Munro Boardwalk at the Newhalem Visitor Center.

NPS

What should visitors know?

The Thornton Lake/Trapper Peak hike is a doozy, so be prepared. Take a look at this detailed Thornton Lake trail guide to plan your visit. The hike ends with the option to take a steep scramble route up to Trappers Peak or to continue down towards the lake. If you want similar views to the ones described and shown above, take the route up to Trappers Peak.

If you aren’t able to complete this strenuous hike, don’t worry! There are plenty of more accessible places where you can experience the ruggedness of the North Cascades. There’s even a webcam that shows a view of the Picket Range from the accessible boardwalk at the Newhalem Visitor Center. Visit North Cascades National Park’s website for more information.

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